DIGITAL SPOTLIGHT CONCEPT: English

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EARLY YEARS

escola CONCEPT

“STAND ASIDE FOR A WHILE AND LEAVE ROOM FOR LEARNING, OBSERVE CAREFULLY WHAT CHILDREN DO, AND THEN, IF YOU HAVE UNDERSTOOD WELL, PERHAPS TEACHING WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM BEFORE.”

LORIS MALAGUZZI

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spot light

By Katherine Stravogiannis

Spotlight. We are proud and honored to have an entire focus on the Early Years division for the first edition of a publication that values our commitment to education and the greater community.

After all, Early Childhood Education represents an expansion of social, emotional, experiential, and cognitive connections. A special and of utmost importance period for consolidating indelible memories. Memories. Also in an uncertain period. With committed family members, caregivers, who look at this child with care, wishing to guarantee their space of belonging.

In quality education.

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5 This Publication also celebrates the child that inhabits Escola Concept: curious, investigative, genuine, with the freedom to be his/her best version, exploring times, spaces, and contexts.

Contexts. Times.

And, how about thinking of the child we were? What would this insightful child think of the adult we have become today? Celebrate what we teach our child today about values, resilience, coexistence? Perhaps less in words, and more in actions?

With so many transformations and influences, society is building a way of being a child, summoning us to the meaning of Early Childhood Education, studying children intimately, not in order to outline what they will become, but to accept who they are, to better understand their identity and established relationships.

And Escola Concept accompanies this need, articulating its pillars, its project, to the visibility of the multiple languages of this childhood culture, welcomed by educators who document, plan, articulate, debate, study, reflect and make history, because they know that children are also historical subjects, and not merely reproducers of content. And they are living a story. A unique moment, which we want to document here.

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Virtual School? Yes! Respecting the characteristics of the age group, each educator devoted many hours to plan opportunities which would allow greater independence for children, interventions and materials easily found at home. The maintenance of meaning, connection with the projects, interdisciplinarity, pedagogical objectives connected to BNCC, Fieldwork Education, but also represented by the Global Goals, Pillars, Habits of Mind which have made the experience challenging, but full of learning and enthusiasm.

With regards to Early Childhood Education, it is the school's responsibility to offer an additional opportunity for coexistence, and to broaden the view of the caregivers about the children's potential, supporting and maintaining them as qualified references of affection towards the child. Early Childhood Education, more than screen time or class hours, is all about how relationships should be celebrated, the cognitive processes being maintained, the significance and, in this case, the relationship of (re)discovery of the home itself, with proposals that can be easily mediated.

6 But ... a PAUSE is also important to experience processes, rediscover home, to enhance the relationships in person and in loco, in times of transition, facing the needs of children, which are unique and highly respected.

At Concept, we treat children with their due space and qualification, in times and particular circumstances, based on the greatest educational references in the world.

May the learning never cease!

Our eyes shine just by thinking about meeting and reuniting with each of our children. In the meantime, enjoy this publication, what has already happened, and what is about to come.

For this reason, children follow different paths from Lower School, and Grade 1 is proudly part of this Early Childhood division. On vacation?

Yes: now.

VACATION, BUT NOT A SETBACK. VACATION.

For a return at full strength and power, taking advantage of every possible minute, with an intentional and planned look. Let's rediscover the value of our group. We are together, and we can only thank you, the families, who give us the privilege of educating your children, even in uncertain times of physical, not social isolation. You have chosen us to educate in times of uncertainty, and we want to be the first to welcome your children back on campus when our gates re-open.

Katherine Stravogiannis is a principal for the Early Years Division and also coordinates the Early Years program for all 3 Escola Concept campuses in Brazil.

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8 Here's a timeline of how the school has been communicating with parents throughout COVID-19 crisis this far.

March 14th: international incidence response company: deep cleaning of learning environment & training of cleaning staff

OUR JO

Crisis manageme

March 23rd: school informs families that meal and after school fees are suspended for March and for the entire period the school will remain closed.

March 17th: launch of virtual school phase 1.

March 25th: launch of virtual school phase 2

April 6th donation c Escola Con the COLL choice of tu

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OURNEY

ent during COVID-19

h: launch of the campaign for the ncept partners of LAB network or uition reduction

April 7th: first communication about the anticipation of vacation.

April 18th: vacation toolkit with appropriate age level suggestions for children and families.

Before May 28th: update on academic plan for Early Years and Grade 1.

May 13th: 20% tuition reduction for Early Years and Grade 1 for the July tuition.

10% tuition reduction for Lower and Middle School for the July tuition.

April 24th: the school focused on the individual needs of each division. Early Years and Grade 1 remained on vacation to maximize on campus learning. Lower and Middle School Learners continued with virtual school on May 4th.

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ADAPT

CHANGE

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Early childhood education in times of

By Katherine Stravogiannis

TRANSITION

"The emergence of Coronavirus is violating our greatest freedoms, how to change or meet with others, but it can make us regain inner freedom that is equally important. Even for children. We will learn, or start over, to live every day."

(TEDESCHI , 2020, Reggio Emilia).

Early childhood education has its importance redefined throughout history. In the historical timeline of early years education, it can be noted that it was once seen as having an assistencial approach, then as recreational, and today, in more modern times, it faces the transition from the schooled, content driven approach, to a more critical reflective education model. At Escola Concept, this is how we approach teaching and learning, with the learner at the center.

A child is educated through his/her whole body, through provocations of curiosities and experiences. Children cannot be educated by imposing exercises and repetitions.

Times of transition present an opportunity to understand and influence the direction that these uncertain moments might call for. First and foremost the child must be seen as an individual that has rights and that is a full competent human being.

An Early Childhood Education in which working towards autonomy is celebrated through choices, debates, and co-participation!

A kindergarten where there are no "tias", but qualified educators who welcome and plan with intentionality!

An active participatory education.

Paper and pencil, exercises, and repetitive activities are not enough to educate because they do not articulate hypotheses that are actively elaborated by children who are in constant search for meaning. Questions, problems, discoveries, attempts, and relationships are foundations that constitute a qualified Early Childhood Education.

Children may be small in size, but they are able to develop empathy, experience and resolve conflicts, understand the meaning of peace and value coexistence.

EVEN DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, ESCOLA CONCEPT WILL VALUE:

"[...]the child must be seen as an individual that has rights and that is a full competent human being."

12 We are not frozen in a time when young learners only repeat letters, numbers, and colors. Such procedures represent pure repetition, transmitting arbitraryconventional knowledge accumulated by humanity, which is the basic role of any institution.

Today one must go further and know how to act upon knowledge. It’s about what you do with what you know and not knowledge itself. It’s important to understand purpose and relevance and it’s role and meaning within the context of the world we live in. Experiences, experimentation and exploration are valued, appreciated, and stimulated.

Learning is no longer seen as reproducing. Learning is using what is known in different situations. To connect and to reconnect!

BUT THEN ... HOW ARE CHILDREN DOING IN THE CONTEXT OF A PANDEMIC, WHEN THEY DISTANCE THEMSELVES FROM THEIR PEERS AND FROM THEIR CLASSMATES? They must resize the space of their homes, explore new relationships, share actions to build their daily lives, become co-responsible for actions, and be part of the routines of the home, to live the daily life, to slow down, to prepare the environment. We encourage everyone to access the Vacation Toolkit (LINK) with proposals linked to these premises.

The essential learnings defined by the BNCC curriculum, by the rights of learning and development state the following: living together, playing, participating, exploring, expressing, getting to know oneself, are also important at home for children to experience challenges and build meanings about themselves, about others and about the world.

We are together in the journey of coresponsibility for the integral development of children. Count on us, always!

The school must value the family, and the latter must value the school.

Even when facing uncertainty it is important the we rediscover coexistence with those we love the most.

One thing we know: our little ones are developing their best version of themselves and developing the Habits of the Mind as they persist, apply past knowledge to new situations, and find humor, among other dispositions.

The school must value the family and the latter value the school, and, even in the face of uncertainty, rediscover coexistence with those we love most.

13 WE CHALLENGE FAMILIES, DURING THESE TIMES OF TRANSITION, THAT WILL BE FOREVER IMPRINTED IN THE MEMORIES OF YOUR CHILDREN TO CONSIDER: What can we learn from children on a daily basis?

How can we find out in which ways they communicate with us?

What discoveries were made in the house itself? How were the pillars of collaboration, digital fluency, entrepreneurship, and sustainability observed in everyday initiatives?

What are the discoveries or valuable information I want to share when we return to campus?

Appropriate conditions need to be provided for children to thrive! Their words and thought must be valued.

Children need to be challenged to make decisions, choices, and take responsibility for their actions. We need to provide the environment for them to do so.

This is the time to grant children the opportunity to rediscover. As adults, we must not allow our thoughts of academic regression or other anxieties to take over. The situation that we are going through is global and it is shared by everyone in the world today. Every early childhood learner is experiencing the same reality. We must consider and view this as an opportunity of growth.

The school has paused wisely, to soon resume with focus, quality, and a keen approach to teaching and learning.

Everyone lives a process, and learns from it; children do not step back, they react, observe, and learn. And we will learn from them, always!

To all families, our deepest feelings of gratitude go out. Education is based on trust and exchanges. We trust you, you trust us and together we trust the potential of our children to face the challenges of the times we are living and to transform each experience into meaningful moments of learning.

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Insights LaĂ­s Pontes, Early Years educator shares her insights and experiences from setting up routines for the little ones to tips for parents.

15 SETTING UP A ROUTINE WITH YOUNG CHILDREN

"[...]keeping up with the calendar, anticipating changes, and involving children in daily life is essential so that boys and girls feel empowered and able to make the most of it"

To maintain a healthy routine with young children it is essential to respect their different rhythms. There are children who wake up earlier, others who wake up a little later, those who eat faster or slower. In this sense, it is essential that the child realizes that, although the routine has greater flexibility during vacation, there is some predictability about what will happen next.

A suggestion is to keep meal times, sleep routine and reserve some moments of the day to be together, play and enjoy family moments. In addition, keeping up with the calendar, anticipating changes, and involving children in daily life is essential so that boys and girls feel empowered and be able to make the most of it.

SOME READING SUGGESTIONS Today is Monday by Eric Carle The Napping House by Audrey Wood King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey Wood House That Jack Built by Pam Adams There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly by Pam Adams Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed by Eileen Christelow O Caso Do Bolinho by Tatiana Belinky O Grande Rabanete by Tatiana Belinky E o dente ainda doía by Ana Terra

BEST BOOK SUGGESTIONS FOR YOUNG CHILDREN Young children like and need repetition and predictability. This gives them pleasure while allowing the retelling and better understanding of the structure of the story, characters and elements of the narrative. Therefore, a reading tip are the predictable tales or cumulative tales, stories in which, due to the pattern of the book, children can anticipate the next word or phrase.

This predictability encourages participation and involves the minds of children, as they often make heavy use of rhyme or repetition. In addition, reading is always an opportunity to let the imagination run wild in creating their games.

16 WHAT CAN WE DO TO HELP IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ORALITY? In this age group, a frequent question from families is related to the development of speech, as there are children who already speak more eloquently and others who are developing the first sentences. In this sense, it is essential to avoid comparisons, respect the different rhythms of learning and offer support for the child to continue developing orality. Several elements can be facilitators in this process. When narrating what is happening while interacting with the child, whether changing clothes, diapers or different moments of daily life, the child attributes meaning to speech, has his body respected and the opportunity to develop greater communicative intentionality.

In addition, the habits of reading, singing and playing together favor the development of orality, as they provide the child with grammatical elements, rhymes and cultural aspects of the language. In general, dialogue and constant conversation help and validate our boys and girls to verbalize opinions and feelings in the creation of their games.

"it is essential to avoid comparison, respect the different rhythms of learning and offer support for the child to continue developing orality"

WE ARE ON VACATION! SHOULD WE START THE POTTY TRAINING PROCESS? Potty training process is a crucial and very special moment in the development of children's independence, so it is essential to observe when the child shows that it is ready to say bye bye to diapers. In general, the process starts when:

The child already verbalizes that he or she will pee or poop; Walks with autonomy and balance; Climb stairs alternating feet; Can jump with both feet simultaneously (not only hop); Keep the diaper dry for longer intervals; Shows interest and desire to use the toilet and is uncomfortable when the diaper is wet/soiled.

In addition, other elements can be facilitators, such as talking to the child about what will happen, avoiding changes in the child's routine during the process, inviting the child to go to the bathroom regularly, guiding when cleaning, and always remember to wash hands.

The last tip is, be patient when the child gets wet or soiled, as it is a unique and individual process that must respect the pace of each child.

(Excerpts from this text were written by Diana Cianelli and Denise Koga, adapted by LaĂ­s Pontes.)

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A teacher's perspective Eduarda Pimentel is an Early Years Educator.

She is having the opportunity to adapt and learn how to enjoy the new normal.

19 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY ... to dedicate myself to my studies, enjoy the company of my family, and enjoy books, music, and movies.

THE QUALITIES THAT BEST DESCRIBE MY FAMILY ARE ... loud and resilient!

RECENTLY, I LEARNED… that the everyday routine that we develop together with students I can develop at home with my mother. I learned to take better care of those who always took care of me.

I DISCOVERED THAT MY HUSBAND CAN ... cook delicious things, even with some ingredients available at home, and leaving one or two components from the original recipe.

THE TASTE THAT IS EMBLEMATIC FOR THIS PERIOD IS… persimmon fruit and ice tea too!

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... hearing the children's laughter and share their curiosities. I miss being able to sit on the floor with them, play, hug, and tell them a story!

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO .. create loving memories of this moment.

These memories can be shared stories (old family stories, stories from everyday situations, stories from books or movies); it also can be cooking together or roleplay thematic days, just something that helps this moment become lighter, and fun.

"[I miss]hearing the children's laughter and share their curiosities. I miss being able to sit on the floor with them, play, hug, and tell them a story!

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A mother's perspective Tatiana is Luca's mother, a 4-year-old boy. Just like everybody else, she is learning and discovering new things everyday during the covid-19 crisis.

21 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ... the family to have lunch together, to be closer to my husband, to watch more movies, to create games, to take care of the plants and the house, and even to workout together.

THE QUALITIES THAT BEST DESCRIBE MY FAMILY ARE ... calm, joy, patience, complicity, harmony, and understanding.

RECENTLY, I LEARNED TO… make cake and pizza, which became an event at home!

I DISCOVERED THAT MY SON CAN ... play and have fun at home, alone or with me, although he misses his friends.

THE TASTE THAT IS EMBLEMATIC FOR THIS PERIOD IS… popcorn, accompanying a movie.

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... the routine, the things Luca said he did and learned at school. That moment of picking him up from school, seeing him leave with a happy face!

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO .. live in the present moment and take advantage of the good side of it all, and enjoy the kids. It is a simple message, but it has kept me well and healthy.

"[...]live in the present moment and take advantage of the good side of it all, and enjoy the kids. It is a SIMPLE message, but it has kept me well and healthy."

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Through the d l i gaze of a c h part 1

Gabriel is a grade 1 learner and he is set to a journey of adventures when spending more time with his family, also discovering joy in everyday life situations.

23 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ... playing with play-dough and Lego. I created a Youtube channel where I recorded videos explaining my lessons, playing, and showing things from my new routine. I even made a video to celebrate my birthday last month.

THE QUALITIES THAT BEST DESCRIBE MY FAMILY ARE ... united. It is me, mom, dad, and my cat, who is like a sister to me and who once was a street kitten. We are always together, inventing something and we love barbecue.

RECENTLY, I LEARNED TO… ride a bicycle without the training wheels!

I FOUND OUT THAT MY MOM CAN ... cook rice, beans, potatoes, mashed potatoes, stroganoff...

THE TASTE THAT MARKS THIS PERIOD IS… my mother's rice, beans, potatoes, and meat.

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL IS ... playing in the treehouse.

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO .. use Educacross, an app with Math games.

I also enjoyed reading stories to my friends through the Zoom platform.

"What I miss most about school is playing in the treehouse."

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Through the gaze of a c h i l d part 2

Aylla is a grade 1 learner and she is just discovering new ways of enjoying life with her family. The new normal looks different every day!

25 STAYING AT HOME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ... riding a bike, playing on the iPad, and playing with my family (I have been scaring my sisters a lot!)

THE QUALITIES THAT BEST DESCRIBE MY FAMILY ARE ... many women, just a boy, my dad. We like to talk a lot, we are fun!

RECENTLY, I LEARNED TO… ride a bicycle without the training wheels!

I FOUND OUT THAT MY MOM CAN ... and is good at teaching me how to read.

THE TASTE THAT MARKS THIS PERIOD IS… shishbarak, like an Arabian cappelletti soup, which looks like a little hat, with meat inside and a curd broth. Hmm ...

WHAT I MISS MOST ABOUT SCHOOL ... are my friends and my teachers.

AMONG THE ADVICE AND TIPS I RECEIVED FOR QUARANTINE, I ADVISE YOU TO .. wear a mask and go to the Epic app to read books - I am reading, Go Back to Sleep by Pascale Constantin.

"What I miss most about school are my friends and my teachers."

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The Future of Play Defining the role and value of play in the 21st century LEGOÂŽ Learning Institute, April 2013

27 Play is at the heart of emotional wellbeing and mental health. Free play in particular is critical to the balanced development of children. It supports adapting and responding to both cultural change and the sheer quantity of information to which children are exposed from an early age.

To play is to engage. When we play, we pick up objects, ideas, or themes and turn them upside down, experiment with them, often arriving at something inspiring and amazing; yet we don’t play for the outcome, but for its own sake. For humans and some animals, play is a vital part of development.

In today’s societies, many children have less time for free exploratory play as they are hurried to adapt into adult roles and prepare for their future at earlier ages (Hardy et al., 1993; Rosenfeld and Wise, 2000; Elkind, 2001). Moreover, the field of early childhood education is undergoing a change towards more measurable standards and frequent testing, specifying what young children should know and be able to do in academic areas such as science, literacy, and mathematics.

Play allows children to use their creativity while developing their imagination, dexterity and physical, cognitive, and emotional strength.

Adults also play to break from conventions, to experiment, to shift from normality into a rich world of imagination or to push themselves in new ways.

As a result, children’s time is becoming increasingly structured and focused on explicit learning goals while, and time for free play is dwindling away. Without a profound understanding of its value and the ways of encouraging free play in children, we risk depriving them of the very dynamic that drives their development as learners and creatives.

Looking into the future it appears that significant societal changes in the coming decades will also affect the perception of the role and value of play globally Rapid economic development, increasing urbanisation and growing connectivity will all play their part in moving societies from culturally curtailed play towards accepted and eventually to culturally cultivated play.

To read in full, click here.

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Como as famílias podem apoiar a alfabetização? texto adaptado de Silvana Augusto* publicado em Guia da Família

29 Em nossa cultura, a escola está diretamente relacionada a essa transição que inaugura para a criança um novo ciclo de vida e um novo papel social. Na escola, a criança vira estudante e assume outro status, porque aprenderá coisas que só os iniciados nessa instituição aprendem.

Haverá um tempo determinado para um dos mais valorizados ensinamentos da escola: ler e escrever.

Os pais, ansiosos por um resultado, se apressam a cobrar a escola quando o assunto é alfabetização.

E não é para menos! Suas expectativas se justificam; afinal, ir para a escola significa assegurar um dos mais valiosos direitos de todo cidadão: expressar-se, ler, escrever e compreender o que é dito em sua própria língua. Mas, diante dos dados alarmantes de analfabetismo no Brasil, das tensões entre educadores sobre os melhores métodos de ensino, da publicidade de determinadas concepções de aprendizagem e da concorrência entre as escolas, é de se esperar que os pais fiquem preocupados: Será que meus filhos terão dificuldade em se alfabetizar?

Será que aprenderão sem muito sofrimento, ultrapassarão os desafios dessa jornada e se tornarão bons alunos ou, infortunadamente, apenas aumentarão os índices de crianças que não se alfabetizam na idade certa?

Quando os pais cobram da escola e dos professores que se expliquem com relação às suas escolhas metodológicas e que sejam mais rigorosos, na verdade estão expressando o desejo de que tudo dê certo. Eles querem ter a certeza de que seus filhos terão sucesso no primeiro ano da escola, quando aprenderão a ler e a escrever. Não há nenhum problema nisso: os pais querem que seus filhos aprendam e a escola, a seu modo e do seu lugar, quer ensinar a todos.

Mas o que, afinal, envolve aprender a ler e a escrever? Como os pais podem ajudar a escola e os próprios filhos?

O que eles precisam saber e assegurar para que as crianças tenham uma boa experiência nos primeiros anos que compreendem o ciclo de alfabetização?

30 A primeira coisa que é preciso reconhecer é que, apesar de todas as justificadas e legítimas expectativas, a criança continua sendo criança. Ela continua querendo ser amada e protegida e precisa de muito apoio para vencer mais essa etapa de sua jornada na escola – uma jornada que está apenas no início. É importante que a rotina em casa não sofra alterações radicais por causa do processo de alfabetização.

Ela precisa saber que não está perdendo nada; ao contrário, ganhará novas possibilidades. Será preciso ajudá-la a organizar os momentos de estudar, de ler e eventualmente fazer propostas de casa, mas também será preciso assegurar o tempo de brincar.

Brincar é uma das principais formas de elaboração do mundo, de compreensão dos papéis sociais, dos valores e das relações entre as pessoas.

Brincando as crianças podem ter o tempo de que necessitam para elaborar seu crescimento, seu novo papel social e suas possíveis inseguranças. Nesse sentido é que dizemos que brincar é também coisa séria.

Para ler na íntegra, clique aqui.

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Morning Bites

Getting to know Early Childhood Education one talk at a time.

Live on Youtube on the following Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10:00 a.m.

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Scan the QR code to access the link to the Youtube transmission.

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escola CONCEPT BRAZIL

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Our Opening Keynote Speaker

We kick-off Morning Bites talks with an exclusive keynote by Ana Teresa Gavião Mariotti, Phd in Psychology and Education, currently Director at Fundação AntonioAntonieta Cintra Gordinho and Member of the São Paulo State Board of Education. Join us! Tuesday, May 19th at 10AM on YouTube!

THGILTOPS

EARLY YEARS

ESCOLA CONCEPT